French police have arrested two suspects believed to be behind the audacious daylight robbery of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum a theft that shocked the global art world and reignited questions about museum security.
Authorities say the heist took place on October 19, when thieves scaled the museum’s walls using a ladder attached to a stolen movers’ truck. Within minutes, they broke into a first-floor gallery and escaped with royal jewels worth an estimated $102 million.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the arrests were made on Saturday evening. One suspect was apprehended at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Algeria, while the second was detained shortly after in the Paris region. Both men are being held on suspicion of organised theft and criminal conspiracy, and can be questioned for up to 96 hours.
Beccuau criticised the premature media reports that revealed the arrests, warning they could disrupt the ongoing investigation involving more than 100 detectives. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez congratulated the investigators for their “tireless” work but also urged discretion as the search continues for the missing jewels and other accomplices.
During their escape, the robbers dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown once belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. The crown was recovered but sustained damage. Eight other valuable pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to Empress Marie-Louise, remain missing.
Investigators have traced the suspects’ movements through surveillance footage across Paris and its suburbs. DNA and fingerprints were also recovered from tools and clothing left behind at the scene. Authorities fear the stolen pieces may already be dismantled or smuggled abroad, their gold and gems separated for resale.
The Louvre’s director has acknowledged that the thieves exploited a blind spot in the museum’s external security system. Culture Minister Rachida Dati has ordered an urgent review of the Louvre’s safety measures, with a report expected early next week.
The high-profile theft is part of a growing pattern of museum robberies across France. In the days following the Louvre incident, thieves looted gold and silver coins from a museum in eastern France, while last month, Paris’s Natural History Museum lost $1.5 million worth of gold nuggets in a separate burglary.
As the investigation widens, officials remain hopeful. “Thieves are always eventually caught,” Nunez said. “I only hope the jewels are not lost to us forever.”
